TAITE PRIZE 2017 - CONGRATULATIONS STREET CHANT!

The winner of the eighth annual Taite Music Prize 2017 is Street Chant for the album ‘Hauora’ released on Arch Hill Recordings.

Henry Oliver, a member of this year’s judging panel reviewed the album for North & South on it’s release. He said "Hauora is a portrait of the lives of a certain breed of the twenty-something, creative middle/under-class; over-read and under-employed, drinking too much and earning too little, busing from an existential crisis to a house party, walking from breakup to hangover."

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, the prize-winner receives a cash prize of $10,000 to be spent as they wish, thanks to 

Taite Music Prize founding partner Recorded Music NZ; recording time at Red Bull Studios Auckland; a year’s supply of Red Bull product; and a year’s supply of Corona beer!

This year the Taite Music Prize was announced at a presentation at The Civic’s Wintergarden in Auckland. IMNZ members Lil’ Chief Records curated special live performance sets for the gathered guests. Alongside the main prize, two additional awards were presented at the ceremony: the Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award for The Clean’s ‘Boodle Boodle Boodle’ and the newly created Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award awarded to Merk ‘Swordfish’, which includes a $2,000 cash prize and a live performance slot at Auckland Live Summer in the Square 2017/2018 – Auckland’s biggest backyard summer party.

The ceremony was live-streamed to the public thanks to 95bFM.

TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2017

TUESDAY 18th APRIL – WINTERGARDEN, at The Civic

Presented by: Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ)
Founding Partner: Recorded Music NZ
Official Partners: NZ On Air / The Taite Family
Event Partners: Auckland Live
Supporting Partners: NZ Music Commission / APRA AMCOS / Loop / Media Arts Lawyers /
Songbroker / Red Bull Studios Auckland / Commotion Ltd. / McCarthy Design /
Corona / Yealands Estate / Spotify
Media Partners: 95bFM
Charity Partners: The NZ Music Foundation

Previous Taite Music Prize winners:
2010 - Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)
2011 - Ladi6 - The Liberation Of (What? Music)
2012 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)
2013 – SJD - Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)
2014 – Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)
2015 – Jakob – Sines (Shoot The Freak)
2016 – Silicon - Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)

Previous Independent Music NZ Classic Record recipients:
2013 - Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)
2014 – Various Artists - AK79 (Ripper Records)
2015 - Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)
2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E T? (Jayrem Records)

TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2017 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2017 have been confirmed.

The Taite Music Prize recognises outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album.

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, the prize-winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000 to be spent as they wish, thanks to Taite Music Prize founding partner Recorded Music NZ; recording time at Red Bull Studios Auckland; and a year’s supply of Red Bull product.

This year’s eight finalists, from a lengthy list of 70 nominations submitted by record labels both independent and major from across the country, are:

Aaradhna / Brown Girl (Universal Music NZ)

Hopetoun Brown / Look So Good (Melita Music)

Lawrence Arabia / Absolute Truth (Flying Nun Records)

LEISURE / LEISURE (THE LEISURE COLLECTIVE)

Lontalius / I’ll Forget 17 (POD/Inertia)

Pacific Heights / The Stillness (Warner Music)

Shayne P Carter / Offsider (Flying Nun Records)

Street Chant / Hauora (Arch Hill Recordings)

2012 Taite Music Prize finalist Aaradhna is back with her fourth studio album Brown Girl, as are 2011 finalists Street Chant with their second record Hauora.

This year the Taite Music Prize will be announced at a presentation at The Civic’s Wintergarden in Auckland on Tuesday 18th April 2017. Alongside the main prize, two additional awards will be presented at the ceremony: the already established Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award and the newly created Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award, celebrating the freshest talent of Aotearoa, and including a $2,000 cash prize and a live performance slot at Auckland Live Summer in the Square 2017/2018 – Auckland’s biggest backyard summer party.

TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2017

TUESDAY 18th APRIL – WINTERGARDEN, at The Civic

Previous Taite Music Prize winners:

2010 - Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)

2011 - Ladi6 - The Liberation Of (What? Music)

2012 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)

2013 – SJD - Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)

2014 – Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)

2015 – Jakob – Sines (Shoot The Freak)

2016 – Silicon - Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)

Previous Independent Music NZ Classic Record recipients:

2013 - Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)

2014 – Various Artists - AK79 (Ripper Records)

2015 - Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)

2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E T? (Jayrem Records)

THE TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2017 - NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Independent Music NZ is proud to announce that nominations are now open for the Taite Music Prize 2017 - one of the most prestigious music events on our nations calendar.

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of the country's most highly respected music journalists, this will be the eighth year for the award. The Taite Music Prize's purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, to be spent as they wish – with thanks to Founding Partner of the Taite Music Prize Recorded Music NZ. Additionally through the support of Red Bull Studios Auckland, the winner receives recording time at the Auckland studios, alongside a years supply of Red Bull product.

Acknowledging originality, creativity and musicianship regardless of sales figures or genre, the Taite Music Prize was established to champion the finest release by a New Zealand artist or group – the previous winners have all been excellent albums that demonstrate these criteria well.

The overall winner will be announced at a presentation in a lavish new hosting venue on Tuesday 18th April 2017. Alongside the main prize, there are two additional awards to be given out at the ceremony in 2017: the already established Independent Music NZ Classic Record and a newly-created award that celebrates the freshest talent of Aotearoa. We'll have more details for you about the new award and entry details when everyone is back from the beach - more news on that very soon!

All event nominations close 5.00pm on 7th February 2017.

For more details on specific eligibility and nomination forms please visit: http://www.indies.co.nz.

Previous Taite Music Prize winners are:

2010 - Lawrence Arabia Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)

2011 - Ladi6 - The Liberation Of (What? Music)

2012 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)

2013 – SJD - Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)

2014 – Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)

2015 – Jakob – Sines (Shoot The Freak)

2016 – Silicon - Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)

Previous Independent Music NZ Classic Record recipients are:

2013 - Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)

2014 - AK79 – Various (Ripper Records)

2015 - Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)

2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E T? (Jayrem Records)